Trump to Continue War in Afghanistan, Echoes Ghost of Richard Nixon, Pakistan Next Target?

Trump to Continue War in Afghanistan, Echoes Ghost of Richard Nixon, Pakistan Next Target?

Only days ago, I wrote an article addressing the growing tension in the country entitled “From Charlottesville To Boston, America Is Falling Apart At The Seams,” where I stated, “Once again, it looks like Trump has been routed by the Deep State. Expect more foreign policy aggression and more domestic oppression in the very near…

The Mini-Skirt Deception: How McMaster Got His Afghan ‘Surge’

The Mini-Skirt Deception: How McMaster Got His Afghan ‘Surge’

A photo of Soviet era Afghanistan won Trump over. According to reports, Gen. H. R. McMaster convinced President Trump to give up his longstanding opposition to the Afghan war by showing him this photograph, below, of Afghan women in what the media are describing as “miniskirts.” As the Washington Post put it: “One of the…

China vs US – Lithium and the Battle for Afghanistan’s Mineral Riches

China vs US – Lithium and the Battle for Afghanistan’s Mineral Riches

Trump calls for escalation of the war in Afghanistan. Why? Is it part of the “Global War on Terrorism”, going after the bad guys, or is it something else?  Unknown to the broader public, Afghanistan has significant oil, natural gas and strategic raw material resources, not to mention opium, a multibillion dollar industry which feeds…

Goodbye ‘President’ Trump; Hail ‘President’ Mattis

Goodbye ‘President’ Trump; Hail ‘President’ Mattis

Back on 16th February 2017, shortly after the forced resignation of President Trump’s first National Security Adviser General Flynn, I spoke of the extraordinary power that US Defense Secretary General Mattis appeared to be wielding within the Trump administration General Mattis is becoming a dominant figure within this administration.  As a much decorated former combat…

Trump’s New Strategy for Afghanistan is Neither New, Nor a Strategy, Nor Trump’s

Trump’s New Strategy for Afghanistan is Neither New, Nor a Strategy, Nor Trump’s

For some time it has been clear that the White House of President Donald Trump was convulsed with a struggle among various court factions vying for the Emperor’s ear. Crudely oversimplified, these are variously described as: 1. The military «Junta» (Generals McMaster, National Security Council; Mattis, Pentagon; and Kelly, White House Chief of Staff; 2….

Abrupt Middle East Geopolitical Turnabout: The Qatar, Saudi Arabia and GCC Crisis

Abrupt Middle East Geopolitical Turnabout: The Qatar, Saudi Arabia and GCC Crisis

It is tempting, and not entirely inaccurate, to dismiss the escalating crisis between Qatar and a number of its neighbors as a petulant princely playground spat. Extending this tempting logic, one could conclude that decisive victory by each of the protagonists would be the optimal outcome. Yet the dispute also reflects deeper dynamics in Arab…